Colorado Summers
by AshleySue
Summary: My entry for the Cowboy Up contest. Eric grows up working summers at the Stackhouse family ranch, and becomes friends with Sookie and Jason. What happens when he wants more than friendship with Sookie?
1. Chapter 1

**Eric and Sookie: Cowboy Up! One-shot Contest**

**Title: Colorado Summers**

**Your Pen name: AshleySue**

**Characters: Eric, Sookie, Bill, Tara, Pam**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns all rights to these characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N A very special thanks to my beta, JenniferAnn B, a woman so funny, she makes my dog fall off the bed!! Luv ya Jen!!**

"Sookie Stackhouse, you have until the count of 10 to be in this house or it'll be double chores for a week!" Sookie smiled as she heard her mother's voice. She'd been outside playing and had completely lost track of time.

She stood, dusted herself off, and went running for the house. The minute she was inside, her mother grabbed her hand and began yanking her towards her bedroom. "Child, I swear you are a magnet for messes. It's a good thing I waited to put you in your pretty dress, if you'd gotten it dirty I would've tanned your hide!" Sookie tried to hold back her laughter. She would always threaten to spank Sookie, but she'd never once actually done it.

Her mother grabbed a wet washcloth and cleaned her face and arms, pulled the dirty tank top and jeans off of her, and slipped the brand new summer dress she'd just bought onto her slim body. Sookie twirled, watching the soft fabric of the skirt billow out around her. The dress was white cotton, and had pink flowers. Her mother ran a brush through Sookie's long blonde hair, pulling it into a ponytail

"There, cute as a button! Now go back downstairs and find Daddy and Jason."

Sookie went bounding down the staircase in search of her father and brother. She found them seated in the living room just as the old grandfather clock in the hallway chimed, indicating that it was 6pm.

"Daddy!" She shouted as she jumped into her father's lap. He hugged her close, and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Well don't you look pretty this evening?"

"I look like a Princess, Daddy!" She said, and he smiled at her.

"I'm hungry, why do we have to wait for this kid to get here, anyway?" Jason asked in a huff.

"Because it's polite to wait for your dinner guests to arrive before you actually **begin** dinner, Jason," their mother replied as she came down the staircase.

"I still don't get why he's gotta come stay with us, anyway," Jason added.

Their mother sighed in exasperation. "Jason, we have been over this. Eric lives with his grandmother, and she's getting too old to keep up with him when he's not in school. We offered him a place to stay and a job for the summer." The noise of car tires on the gravel driveway interrupted their conversation. "**Be polite**." She smoothed out the front of her dress, and walked to the door just as someone knocked.

She opened the door, and smiled brightly at her guests. "Hello, Mike, come on in," she said, gesturing with an open hand for her guests to enter the living room. Sookie watched as Mike, a man who'd worked for her father as long as she could remember, walked in, followed by a tall, skinny, blonde boy.

Mike removed his wide brimmed hat, nodded and smiled at Sookie and Jason, and said, "Peter, Miranda, this is my nephew, Eric." Then, he turned to the boy standing next to him. "Eric, this is Peter and Miranda Stackhouse, and their children, Jason and Sookie." Eric took in all the faces in front of him with wide eyes, but didn't say a word.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Eric," Miranda said, putting her hand on the boys shoulder. "Well, come on y'all, let's eat before supper gets cold." They all stood and went into the dining room.

Peter followed his wife to one end of the table and held out her chair as she sat, then walked to his own seat at the head. Jason sat down in his usual spot, and Mike went to sit next to him, leaving Eric and Sookie to sit beside each other opposite them. Once everyone had settled in, Peter indicated that they should bow their heads to pray.

Once her father had finished blessing the food, Miranda insisted that everyone dig in, and the large serving platters were passed around until everyone's plate was as full as could be. After a moment of semi-awkward silence, Miranda asked, "Now, Eric, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Eric looked up at her, and then quickly looked at his uncle, almost as if he was asking for permission to speak. After a reassuring nod from Mike, Eric did indeed speak. "Well, M'am, um, my name is Eric Northman, and I'm 12 years old." He gave a slight nod of his head, almost as if he'd just told his entire life's story.

Miranda Stackhouse grinned and said, "Well, that makes you the same age as Jason, isn't that right, son?" Jason looked up from his food and mumbled something with a full mouth, and went back to ignoring everyone else.

"You'll have to forgive Jason his manners, Eric, sometimes he forgets he's a human being," she said with a small amount of tension. Sookie burst into a fit of giggles, and Eric turned to watch her laugh. He grinned a little at her.

"Well, I know my manners. My name is Sookie. I'm 10 years old, and Daddy says ever since I was born, I've been able to wrap every man who's worked here around my little finger," she said with a huge smile. Peter just shook his head and laughed at his little girl's bluntness.

"Now if **that** isn't the truth, I don't know what is!" Mike added. "I've worked here for going on 10 years now, and I don't think I've seen a single man set foot on this ranch that didn't leave thinking that Miss Sookie here hung the moon." Mike laughed even harder as he saw Jason roll his eyes at this comment. Apparently, her brother was the **only** exception to that statement.

The rest of the meal continued in about the same fashion. Peter explained to Eric that the main thing they did on this ranch was raise cattle. Some were for milking, and some were sold to the beef company. Eric's uncle had explained most of this to him earlier, so he just nodded politely.

Once everyone had had their fill of the lovely dinner Miranda had made, they walked out to the large porch on the West side of the house to watch the sun go down over the mountains. Miranda passed out slices of fresh, homemade apple pie, along with coffee for the adults, and milk for the children.

Miranda tried again to get Eric to open up. "So, Eric, Mike tells me that you lived in Wyoming until you were 8. How do you like Colorado so far?"

"I like it just fine, M'am." He said. She turned to look at Mike, who simply shrugged. He'd never known his nephew to be shy, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

After they'd all finished their dessert, Mike helped Eric bring his things in from the truck, and placed them in the upstairs bedroom that Miranda had shown him earlier. Because her mother told her to give him some space, Sookie avoided going to Eric's room like she wanted to. Instead, she sat at the top of the stairs, brushing her doll's hair. She was, however, close enough to the room to hear a conversation between Eric and his uncle.

"Uncle Mike, I understand why I can't stay with Grandma during the summer. And, I don't even mind working, but, why can't I stay with you?"

"Eric, you **know** why you can't stay with me. I can only afford to pay the small fee for me to have a room at the boarding house myself. I just can't afford one for you as well. I'm sorry that isn't what you want, truly I am. But, these are good folks. I think you'll really like it here. You just need to make friends with Jason and Sookie, and you'll be having fun in no time. Besides, I'll be here to work every day."

"What if I don't **want** to make friends? Jason won't even look at me. Sookie's nice, but she's a girl. I'm not gonna be friends with a girl."

Mike laughed. "Oh, Eric, I have a feeling that the day will come sooner rather than later where you'll be begging Sookie for her friendship." She heard a snort, and assumed it came from Eric. "Well, if you're all settled in, I've got to be going. I'll be back bright and early in the morning, and we can talk more then, alright?"

"Okay," Eric replied. Sookie heard footsteps, and saw Mike enter the hallway, before she heard Eric's voice yell, "Uncle Mike, wait!?

"What is it, Eric?" Mike asked. And in the next moment, Sookie watched as Eric flung himself into the hallway and gripped his uncle in a tight hug. Mike smiled down at him and hugged him back. After another moment, Mike ruffled Eric's hair, and walked away. As he passed Sookie on the staircase, he said, "Now you watch after him for me, Miss Sookie."

"Sure I will, Mike!" She smiled, and Mike winked at her, and left.

Sookie went into her own bedroom, changed into her pajamas, and lay down in bed. Her room was right next to Eric's, and her bed was against the same wall that his was. If it hadn't have been that way, she probably wouldn't have heard him cry himself to sleep that first night. She promised herself she'd help him be happier, starting first thing tomorrow.

The entire household was up and moving shortly after the sun rose the next morning. Eric knew that working on a ranch took quite a bit of energy, so, he made sure to eat well to support his strength. Once breakfast had been eaten, Sookie and Miranda stayed to clean up and wash the dishes, while Peter and Jason took Eric outside to meet the rest of the crew.

"Eric, this here is Jesse Compton, and that young man over there is his son, Bill. Now Bill is the same age you are, so you will be working with him and Jason the most. Jesse, Mike, and I are going to be branding today, and we've had some accidents in the past," he paused for a moment to glare at Bill, who blushed, "so, you boys won't be needed to help with that. Instead, I'd like for you to take those boards over there and nails and start patching up holes in the stable, and then this afternoon we'll get started on a large portion of the fence that got trampled down."

Eric nodded, and followed behind Jason and Bill. They collected the tools they'd need, and made their way to the stable. Jason led them to the furthest stall, which had several holes in the walls a few feet up from the ground. By way of explanation, Jason said, "a snake got in here somehow, and the buck in this stall is pretty young, and got spooked. He kept kicking the walls, and trying to stomp on the snake." Eric raised his eyebrows and nodded, and they got to work.

After a couple of hours of hammering away, the holes in the stable were patched, and the boys made their way back to the adults. Seeing their approach, Peter motioned for them to stay where they were, and finished the calf he was working with.

"All done with the stable, boys?" He asked as he walked towards them.

"Yup. We put boards on the inside and outside of each hole. It should hold." Jason said, proud of himself.

Just as Peter was about to say something, they heard a ringing sound coming from the house, and turned to see that Miranda was on the back porch, ringing a large bell, letting them know that it was time for lunch.

They made their way to the small wash area on the porch. After washing their hands, they went into the house to join the women for lunch.

Once everyone was seated, Peter said the mealtime prayer, and they began to eat. Because Jesse and Bill were joining them, an extra chair had been added to each side. Eric sat between Bill and Jason, and on the opposite side, Sookie sat between Mike and Jesse. As everyone ate, Peter began to fill Miranda in on what progress had been made.

"So, what have you got planned for this afternoon?" She asked.

"Well, there's about 40 feet of fence line that got trampled a bit with that last thunderstorm, so, I guess we'll take the boys out there and see if we can't get it all patched up.

Sookie was practically bouncing in her chair as she said, "Ooh, Daddy, can I come too?"

Jason and Bill groaned with irritation, but were quickly silenced with a stern look from both of their fathers. "Well, Princess, I don't necessarily want you swinging a hammer, or playing with nails, but, you're more than welcome to ride out there with us."

Sookie clapped her hands rapidly and giggled, and proceeded to eat her food as fast as she could so she could change into her work clothes.

The men all sat outside, waiting for Peter to give them the go ahead to ride out. They were all mounted on horses, and Eric was excited to get moving, because it'd been a while since he'd ridden. Just when Jason was about to scream at the top of his lungs for his sister to hurry up, she came running out of the house in jeans, a short-sleeved black t-shirt, bright purple cowboy boots, and a matching cowboy hat, with her hair in two braids underneath. Eric thought she looked sort of sweet, but Jason and Bill laughed.

Once Peter had mounted and had Sookie in front of him, they set out. As they rode, Eric got to see for the first time just how beautiful the Stackhouse land was. It was 40 acres, and it was all beautiful. There was a substantial creek running just shy of the fence line, so they tied their horses up so they could drink some water while the men worked.

Peter showed the boys how he wanted things done, then assigned them each a five foot space to begin with. Eric was closest to Peter, and by extension, to Sookie, who was sitting on the ground handing her father nails. Every couple of minutes she would pipe up with a knock knock joke, or some other silly story she'd learned, trying to keep both herself and her father thoroughly entertained. She even made Eric smile quite a few times, although he was sure she didn't know it.

Once Eric had finished his section, Peter had him shift down to the other end, where Jason and Bill were working. After about 30 more minutes of work, Jason yelled out to his father that they needed more nails, so Peter sent Sookie to him with a box full.

As she was reaching to hand the box of nails to her brother, he swiped his foot at her ankles, causing her to fall into a large mud puddle. Bill and Jason roared with laughter, while Eric stayed silent, just watching.

Sookie stood up, stuck her tongue out at her brother, and went down to the creek to wash herself off. As she was bent over rinsing her hands in the chilly water, Bill and Jason crept up behind her. Just as she was beginning to stand, Jason pushed her sharply in the back, and she landed in the creek on her knees. Both boys laughed, pointing at the now soaked little girl. Sookie stood, climbed out of the creek, and looked at her brother, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm telling Daddy," she said softly, hiccupping between words.

Jason just laughed harder. "Go ahead. All it's gonna do is make it so that you can't come next time, because he **needs** our help, but he doesn't need **you** out here getting hurt." She turned, walking away, her body shaking from the cold.

Jason and Bill turned and walked back towards Eric. "I wish that stupid brat would just get the hint and stay home with Mom where she's supposed to be. Working on a ranch is a job for men, not little girls." Bill grunted in agreement, and they got back to work. Eric kept replaying the incident in the back of his mind. He thought that it was very mean of Jason to treat his sister that way, but, because he was the odd man out, he decided to stay quiet about it.

A few minutes later, Peter approached them. "Boys, we need to be heading back. It's starting to get late, and it seems that Sookie fell in the creek, so I'd like to get her in some dry clothes before she gets sick." He turned his back and starting walking, and Jason and Bill gave each other a high five.

When they got back to the house, Jesse and Bill said their goodbyes and headed home, while Miranda took Sookie upstairs to take a hot bath, and change into some dry clothes. When they finally made it back downstairs, Jason and Eric had already set the table for dinner, and they all took their seats. Once Peter had said the prayer, Miranda spoke up.

"Jason, is there anything you want to tell me about this afternoon?"

He looked at his mother with feigned innocence. "What do you mean?"

Miranda and Peter made eye contact, and Miranda spoke again. "Jason, tell me the truth. Did you push your sister into the creek?"

Jason held his head high and looked his mother straight in the eye and said, "No. She'd gotten muddy, went down to the creek and fell in."

Sookie shouted, "LIAR! You tripped me into the mud when I was givin' you more nails, and then you pushed me into the creek!"

After a moment of thoughtful silence, Miranda turned to Eric and said, "Eric, what's the truth? Did he push her, or did she fall in?"

Eric glanced at Jason, who looked perfectly calm, sure the other boy would back him up. Then he turned his glance to Sookie, who looked like he was her life line. He knew this was bigger than just telling what happened. This would determine which of the siblings would be his friend. He could say Jason was telling the truth, and be friends with two other boys his own age. Or, he could say Sookie was, and have a girl 2 years his junior to hang around with.

"Jason's telling the truth, M'am." He said quietly. He didn't dare to look at Sookie.

"Very well. Sookie, you know we don't tolerate lying. You're grounded for a week. Now go to your room." She put her silverware on her plate, stood, and left the room without saying a word.

Eric barely saw her during for the rest of the week. She was at the table with them at mealtime, but she never spoke a word, unless she was asked a direct question. She never once looked at him. He was sorry that she'd been punished, but, since his friendship with Jason was growing, he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth.

As the weeks passed, Eric began to feel more and more comfortable. He was beginning to have fun with Jason and Bill, and loved working with his Uncle Mike every day. He got along with Miranda and Peter well because he always tried his hardest, and they appreciated his effort. The only problem was Sookie.

He expected her to yell, or hit him, just do **something**. But, she treated him with indifference. She stopped asking to help with any of the work, and stayed in the house with her mother instead. He overheard Mike and Peter talking about it, once. Peter couldn't understand why his adventurous little girl had suddenly turned so shy. Jason and Bill took every chance they could get to tease her. Eric never participated, but, he also never stopped them. In his own mind, and he assumed in hers, that made him as guilty as the other two.

On his final day, Miranda fixed all his favorite foods, and Bill and Jesse joined them for dinner. They'd forgone using the dinner room table, and instead were sitting on picnic benches just off the porch. Sookie sat by herself on the steps, and didn't utter a word the entire time. The next morning, Mike loaded all of Eric's things into his while Eric said his goodbyes. He hugged Miranda, and told Peter and Jason he was looking forward to working with them again. He ran up to his room to make sure he'd gotten everything, and noticed Sookie sitting on her bed.

"Sookie?" He said softly, standing in her doorway.

"Yes?" She said, not bothering to look up at him.

"Um, I'm leaving now to go back to my Grandma's. I'll see ya next summer, okay?"

"Okay. Goodbye." She hadn't looked at him the entire time.

The next several years passed in much the same way. Sookie stayed at the house while l the men went out to do their various jobs on the ranch. Sookie never quite warmed to Eric, and while they were friendly with one another, they never became friends. Eric continued to spend most of his free time with Jason and Bill. Although the tricks had tapered off, they were constantly teasing Sookie. As always, Eric didn't join it, but he didn't stop it, either.

Things began to change the summer after Eric, Jason and Bill graduated from high school. Jason had been accepted at Colorado State University, and Eric would be attending the University of Texas. Bill had opted not to go to college, and continue to work at the ranch with Mike, Peter, and Jesse. However, knowing that Jason and Eric would no longer be around to help, Peter decided that Sookie should start learning some of the easier tasks so she could help out when needed.

The first job that Peter assigned her to was what they jokingly referred to as Border Patrol. At least twice a day she was instructed to ride out to the edges of the property, follow the fence line, making sure that all of the cattle were accounted for, and the fence remained undamaged. There had been several reports of cattle thieves in the area, so they needed to be vigilant.

One afternoon while Sookie was patrolling, the men were in horse exercise pen, working on breaking in two new colts. They didn't hear the pounding of hooves coming, but, sure enough, they heard Sookie's screams.

"Daddy! Daddy! Quick!!"

"What's wrong, Sook?" Jason yelled as soon as she was in better hearing distance.

"There's a mountain lion attacking the herd out by the creek!"

The men immediately jumped to action. Jason closed the entrance to the pen so that the young horses couldn't get out, and grabbed two shot guns from the stable wall, throwing one to his father, and one to Eric. After grabbing another for himself, he jumped on his horse, and they were all off.

By the time they reached the creek, they could see that the cat was no longer alone. It had been joined by two others. They had already taken down three cows, and seemed to be prowling for another. It was difficult to get at a good enough angle to shoot the cats, because the cattle were running frantically, and the horses were uneasy with the chaos. Everyone knew that Jason had the best aim, so the plan was for Eric and Peter to shoot into the air to try and spook the cattle into going a certain direction, while Bill, Mike, Jesse and Sookie did their best to coral the cats together. This worked and Jason was able to take down two of the cats, but the third, and largest, was proving difficult.

Just when they thought they had the cat cornered, it decided to try one last desperate escape attempt. The cat sprung out, trying to attack Sookie's horse. Just as it left the ground, Jason fired, finally successful in killing the animal. However, between the near attack and the boom of the shotgun, Sookie's horse had become very frightened. The mare reared up and moved backwards, causing Sookie to loose her grip on the reigns, and tumble out of her saddle. The force with which the mare tossed her propelled Sookie into the waters of the creek. Unfortunately, it had been a very wet winter, and the water was high and fast.

The moment he saw her body hit the water, Eric vaulted from his horse and ran to help her. However, with the fast moving rapids, it was difficult to see where she was. He finally saw her back rise above the surface, and he instinctively knew she had been knocked unconscious. He ran along the bank until he was just ahead of her, and then plunged head first into the frigid water. He had always been a strong swimmer, but he still struggled to get to her. By the time he reached her and pulled her to him, she had been without air for at least three minutes. He was able to keep her head above the surface as he swam with her back to the shore.

As he lay her still body on the bank of the creek, he noticed a trail of blood running out of her hair, and thought she'd hit her head on a rock, which would explain the loss of consciousness. After a quick assessment, he knew she wasn't breathing, and he began CPR, thankful he'd learned how in school. He continued to push on Sookie's chest, and blow into her mouth, willing her heart to beat and her lungs to breathe. He could hear the other men yelling and coming toward him, but he was entirely focused on her. "Come on Sookie, breathe damnit!" He yelled as he continued. "Breathe. Come on Sookie, you can do it."

Just as Peter reached them, Sookie's chest rose as she coughed hard, finally taking in breath on her own. Eric rolled her onto her side as she continued to cough the water up and out of her lungs. Once her coughing calmed down a bit, Eric lifted her into Peter's arms, and he took off for the house, in order to get her to the hospital. Eric stood, dripping wet and freezing cold, watching them ride away from him.

By the time Eric made it back to the house, Miranda, Peter, Jason, Jesse and Bill had all gone to the hospital. Only Mike remained to make sure that Eric made it back alright. Once he'd taken a hot shower and put on dry clothes, they drove to join everyone else at the hospital. They found everyone but Miranda in the waiting room.

"They won't let more than one visitor back there with her at a time," Jason explained as they approached. "Mom's with her right now."

Eric turned to Peter, not sure how to ask what the prognosis was. "You got her out in time, Eric. The doctor said she's got a concussion from hitting her head on a rock, and she needed three stitches to close the wound. They're a little worried about infections from all the germs in the creek, so they want to keep her overnight and pump her full of antibiotics. Other than that, she's gonna be okay." Eric felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders, one he hadn't realized he'd been carrying.

Mike and Eric took a seat, and everyone waited in silence. After an hour, Jesse and Bill said that they were going to head home, since she was alright, and that they'd visit her tomorrow, and the silence returned. Peter, Mike and Jason had each picked up a magazine, and were reading to pass the time. Eric, however, just stared down at the tile floor beneath his feet. Even knowing she would be okay, he knew his nerves would only calm once he saw her for himself. After another hour had passed, Miranda entered the waiting room, and placed her hand on Eric's shoulder.

"Eric," she said, and his head snapped up to look at her. "She's asking for you, Hun."

Eric was surprised, but, pleasantly so. He nodded, and stood to follow Miranda down the hall to Sookie's room. Once they reached the door, Miranda smiled at him, leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, and simply said, "Thank you, Eric, for saving her life." Before he could respond, she turned and walked away.

He knocked softly on the door, and then pushed it open and entered. Sookie had been resting, but when she heard him enter, she opened her eyes and looked at him. A bright smile lit up her entire face, and she said, "Eric."

"Hey there, Sook. How ya feel?" He sat down in a chair next to her bed, she reached out and he took her hand.

"I'm okay. Sore as hell, but, it could've been much worse, so I really can't complain." She tried to laugh, but it made her cough painfully. After she composed herself, she smiled at him again. "Eric, I can't even begin to thank you for what you did. You are the only reason I'm still here."

He shook his head. "Nah, Sook, you're still here cause you're stubborn as hell and wouldn't let a stupid cat ruin your future." He chuckled a bit at her smile. "Besides, if anybody else had been closer to you, they would've done the same."

"I know. But it wasn't anybody else. It was you. And I'm grateful." She squeezed his hand, and he saw a tear trickle down her cheek. He absently ran circles over the back of her hand with his thumb, and eventually she went back to sleep. He stood, laid her hand on her stomach, and leaned in to place a kiss to her forehead. Then, he left the room and went to join the others.

While he had been with Sookie, it had been decided that Miranda would stay the night here, and the rest of them would go home. Mike and Eric drove back to the Stackhouse place, while Peter and Jason stopped to pick up a couple of pizzas. Once they'd eaten, Mike left, and the three other men went to bed. Lying in his bed that night, all Eric could think about was how wrong the world would've felt without her in it.

Sookie was released from the hospital just after lunchtime the next day, and arrived home to see balloons and a big 'Welcome Home' banner hanging from the front porch. She instinctively knew that Mike, Jesse, and her father were responsible for this. She couldn't imagine Jason, Bill and Eric doing anything that sweet…or that corny.

She paused for a moment, her mind returning once again to the tall blonde boy who'd saved her life. No, that wasn't right. Eric was no longer a boy. He was a man. He had been in her eyes for quite some time, now. She thought back to that first summer he came to the ranch. She was so certain they'd be friends. But, when faced with the choice of backing Jason or Sookie, Eric had chosen Jason. She was mad at first, because she got punished for lying, when in fact she was the only one telling the truth. She had convinced herself that she hated him for it. And, at the time, she had. But, once he returned the next year, she knew that was no longer the case. She couldn't blame him for what he'd done. Even if she could never admit it out loud, she'd understood his reasoning. She'd wanted to try and make amends and be friends, but, with the way that Bill and Jason still treated her, she knew that he would ruin any progress he'd made with them if he befriended her. So, rather than torture herself with being around someone she so desperately wanted to be friends with but couldn't be, she'd opted to stay at the house with her mother, seeing Eric as little as possible.

But now, that had all changed. They would be short staffed around the ranch once Jason left for college in the fall, so, her father decided to have her start working with them, again. After only a few weeks of working with the men everyday, she came to realize that she'd developed a very large crush on Eric. But, she also knew that she didn't stand a chance with him. He was 18, he was a man. She was still just a little girl, or, at least in **his** eyes she was. Not that she blamed him. She was slow in developing, and still had a fairly stick straight figure, and not much of a bust. But, he **had** saved her life. And, when he thought she had been asleep, he'd pressed a kiss to her forehead. She knew he'd never see her as more than a friend, but, she'd definitely take his friendship over nothing.

While she was recovering from her injuries, her father had insisted that she stay at the house again, and they'd worry about getting her trained later. She tried to spend as much time around Eric as was possible. She'd overheard Jason and Bill talking once, and they said it was 'hero-worship' because he'd saved her life. She hoped that was what Eric thought that as well. She would be mortified if he knew the truth.

They grew very close that year, and it hurt her badly when he left for college. His Grandmother had suffered a stroke early in the summer, and was now living in a full-time care facility, so, he'd agreed to come back again next summer, as long as he could leave for a few days at a time to go and visit her. Sookie tried so hard to hold back the tears she knew would come when he left. But, in the end, they flowed down her cheeks, anyway. Everyone just attributed them to the fact that both Eric **and** Jason were leaving at the same time. Sure, she'd miss her brother, they'd never been apart for more than a week at a time. But, she knew deep down that all of her tears were for Eric. He promised he'd email her, and said he'd talk to her on the phone at Christmas time. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him close, and he tilted his head down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Be good, little one!" He said, and then was gone.

Although he knew it was just Texas, as far as Eric was concerned, he'd moved to another planet. He'd only ever lived in smaller towns, and he had expected to be overwhelmed by the amount of people in such a small area. Luckily, he had at least a couple of friends with him to soften the blow. Two other guys from his high school were attending classes there, and they had all gotten an apartment together just off of campus. The older brother of one of the boys already lived in that same building, so, he showed them all around and introduced them to a lot of their fellow students.

To Eric's surprise, he was instantly popular with the female students. He'd been on a few dates in high school, but, he'd literally grown up with all the other kids at school, and they'd seen him go through his awkward growth spurts. But, here, all they knew of him was what was here and now. And apparently, his now was something kinda special. He wasn't so naïve that he didn't know he was good looking. He'd finally stopped growing at 6'4", and due to the physical nature of his job on the ranch, he'd always been muscular. He'd recently cut his hair short to accommodate for the heat and humidity of Texas. He went on a few dates, and attended some parties with his friends, but never got too much into the social scene, wanting to focus more on his classes so as to not disappoint his Grandmother.

He emailed Sookie usually once a week. His roommates teased him about it, but he said that he was just making sure she wasn't slacking off in school, and that he needed to make sure she was taking care of herself since her older brother was no longer there to protect her. More than a few times, he'd wonder to himself whether that was quite accurate, but, tried not to read too much into it.

As the year was coming to a close, he found himself anxious to get back to the ranch. He was looking forward to the familiar surroundings, and he'd missed everyone. When he had only one final left to take, he received a phone call that shattered his world. His grandmother had passed away in her sleep. He finished taking his final test, and flew to Denver. Mike picked him up at the airport, and they made the short, 30 mile drive to Boulder. Between planning and holding the funeral, and packing away of her things and selling the house, Eric was only ever able to make it to the Stackhouse ranch once that summer, and only for two weeks. It was unfortunate that Sookie was gone the entire time he was there. Months earlier she'd accepted an invitation to join her friend, Tara, and her family on a three week vacation to the East Coast. They were to fly to Boston, rent a car, and drive to Washington, DC, stopping at many historical sites along the way. She spoke to Eric on the phone, and offered to stay home from the trip so she could be there to help comfort him, but he insisted she go. It was already paid for, and he knew she'd been looking forward to it.

Although she'd enjoyed the trip, she was miserable for the majority of that summer. It was the first time in seven years she didn't get to see him. Her body had finally changed from that of a girl, to a woman. She was ever anxious to see Eric's reaction to her new looks, but, she never got the chance. She never pictured herself starting her senior year in high school completely depressed, but that's what she did. They continued to email each other quite often, and she felt herself hoping once again that something could possibly happen between the two of them.

Around February, the frequency of his emails started to slow. He'd mentioned that he was taking some difficult classes, so she assumed that was the reason. She wondered whether or not she should mention to him that on the very day she'd turned 18 Bill began hitting on her, and asking her for a date almost every weekend. Without Jason or Eric there, he didn't have any shame with his brazenness. By the time April rolled around, she was starting to get worried. He'd gone from emailing her once a week, to once a month. When she finally got up the guts to ask Mike if he was just really busy with classes, she regretted it immediately. Mike told her that Eric had been dating a girl named Pam, and that they were going to Mexico together with some friends for Spring Break. She felt her heart sink thinking of him with another woman.

The next time Bill asked her out, she accepted. The more time they spent together, the more comfortable she became around him. He'd take her out to eat, dancing, or to the movies almost every weekend. After they'd been dating for a month, he kissed her. She cried herself to sleep that night. She'd wanted her first kiss to be with Eric. Bill was always hinting that he'd like to move their relationship to the next level, sexually, but Sookie just kept telling him she wasn't ready. He _seemed_ to accept that, but she was never certain.

As Eric boarded his plane bound for Denver, he felt excited to be returning to the ranch. He'd taken on a heavy class load, and the past two weeks of finals had been more than he'd bargained for. Add to that breaking up with Pam, and he was glad for the change of scenery. He was especially looking forward to seeing Sookie. He'd been disappointed that they didn't get to hang out at all last summer, and he found himself missing her. He had slacked off with emailing her since he'd been dating Pam, and he was determined to make it up to her.

Mike picked him up from the airport, and they stopped at the cemetery in Boulder so Eric could place flowers on the graves of his Grandmother and parents, before heading towards the ranch. They talked for a while, but, spent a good portion of the drive in comfortable silence. Eric felt his pulse quicken the closer they got. When Mike finally turned into the long gravel drive, Eric smiled, glad to be home. He climbed out of the truck, and was turning to grab his duffel bag from the bed, when he heard a familiar female voice scream his name.

He smiled, and turned to greet Sookie. He was shocked when she came running down the porch stairs and launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and he put his arms around her waist. Without even looking at her, he'd noticed the differences. Her hips were more rounded, and he could distinctly feel firm breasts pushed up against his chest. After a couple of minutes, and the sound of a few snickers, he put her on the ground and got his first good look at her.

She took his breath away. He'd always thought she was pretty, but, now she was absolutely gorgeous. She'd allowed her hair to grow, and it cascaded halfway down her back in soft curls. Her eyes were crystalline blue, large, and bright. He saw that her hips had indeed rounded out, and he fought the urge to step behind her to see if her ass was as curvaceous as those hips. Her breasts were large, high, and firm. She was wearing a pair of denim cutoffs, and her legs were toned, shapely, and very tan. He was glad he'd worn a pair of loose jeans, he'd hate for the entire household to be aware of how hard the sight of her had made him. She was like his own personal wet dream.

He was brought out of his own little fantasy world when Miranda came off the porch to hug him as well. He shook hands with Peter, Jesse and Jason. Bill, however, only said hello quietly, and stood behind Sookie and wrapped his arms around her abdomen. Mike had mentioned that they had gone on a couple of dates, but, Eric was unaware that they considered themselves a couple. His pushed his disappointment to the back burner however to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Just off the porch in the back was a fire pit, surrounded by picnic tables. Jason, Eric, Sookie, and Bill lit a fire, and sat down to catch up with one another after the others had gone home or to bed. Even in the summer, the nights were cold, so it didn't surprise Eric when Sookie draped a blanket over herself. She was sitting on the seat of a table, while Bill sat behind her on the tabletop. Eric sat directly across from them and tried not to focus on how jealous he was. Jason filled the others in on the girl he was seeing, then Bill asked Eric about Pam.

"We broke up, about a month ago." He was sure it was just a trick of the firelight when he saw Sookie's eyes widen, and a small smile grace her lips. He did, however, know EXACTLY what was going on when he saw movement underneath the blanket, right around the height of Sookie's breasts. He saw her twist a little, and then sit up, moving away from Bill.

They decided to call it a night before it got too late, knowing they'd need to be up and ready to work early the next morning. Jason and Eric went inside, while Sookie walked Bill to his truck to say goodnight. Eric found himself anxious for her to return. He was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when she finally came back in, but she shut the door to her bedroom before he could talk to her. He went into his own room to try and get some sleep.

Sookie made sure to reprimand Bill for his attempt to feel her up underneath the blanket earlier when she walked him to his truck. He smiled and told her that he couldn't help it, she just turned him on so much. She wasn't happy with the explanation, and went back into the house without giving him a goodnight kiss. She saw that Eric was brushing his teeth, so she went into her room and shut the door so she could change, and then hopefully speak with him. But, by the time she'd changed, he'd already gone to bed. She found that sleep eluded her that night, knowing that Eric was in the next room, and that he was available once again.

The next couple of weeks passed by quickly on the ranch. With the extra help that Eric and Jason provided, Peter got a few major projects done that he'd been putting off. Since Sookie had been helping during the school year, she continued to work with them. More often than not, she ended up working side by side with Eric, a fact that Bill was not pleased with. Sookie couldn't have been happier, though. Eric was making good on his promise to make up for the slow emails during the school year. They soon found themselves easing back into the closeness they'd shared his last summer before college.

For her birthday in mid-July, Peter had surprised Miranda with tickets to see George Strait perform in Salt Lake City. Jesse, his wife, Susan, and Mike were all going to join them for a four day weekend and make a trip of it. Jason made plans to go to Denver to see his girlfriend. This left Eric, Bill, and Sookie in charge of the ranch.

The first night they were gone, Bill has having a bunch of friends over for a party. Eric opted not to attend, saying he didn't feel right leaving the ranch unmanned. What he failed to mention to anyone was that he was really staying away because he was quickly becoming disgusted with Bill. He was very brazen and disrespectful with the way he treated Sookie. However, she seemed to put up with it, so he refrained from saying anything. That was why he was shocked when his cell phone rang just after midnight. It was Sookie, and he could tell she was crying.

"Sookie, what is it, what's wrong?"

"Eric, can you please come get me? I wanna go home." She sounded so sad, it made his heart ache.

"I'm on my way." He grabbed his keys and jumped into the truck. He was so focused on getting there quickly, he almost didn't see her walking along the side of the road a half a mile away from Bill's house. He flipped around, and she crawled into the passenger seat.

Before he could ask her any questions, she said, "Eric, please just get me home, then I'll tell you all about it. I'm just not ready to talk about it, yet." He nodded, and they drove in silence.

Once they got back to the ranch, Sookie went straight into the bathroom and locked the door. A moment later, Eric heard the shower turn on. He went into his room, and changed into a pair of cotton lounge pants, and reclined on his bed to wait for her. He'd left his door wide open so she knew she could talk to him if she wanted to. He heard the bathroom door open about 20 minutes later, and she appeared in his doorway, wearing shorts and a camisole.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

"Of course." He had expected her to sit down at the opposite side of the bed, but was completely surprised when she laid down next to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his chest. He could tell she was still very upset, so he didn't speak; he just raised his hand and began to lightly stroke her back.

After several minutes of silence, Sookie began. "When Bill and I first started dating, it was just really casual, and a lot of fun. But, after the first time he kissed me, things changed. He's always trying to push us just a little bit further. Some of the things he did I was okay with, like holding his hand in public, or, lying down next to each other to watch a movie. He wanted to lie on top of me once while we were making out, but, I told him that was going too far way too fast." She blushed, and buried her face in Eric's chest for a moment before continuing. "He's never gotten upset with me when I told him no to anything, but, it wasn't long until he was trying something else. Tonight, all the other friends who came over were in couples, and they'd all been drinking. They were all on the couches and floor in the living room, and they were, um, doing stuff."

He felt his body tense. "Are you telling me Bill was holding an orgy?"

"Um, yeah, I think that's what it was. Bill was kissing on my neck, and I got really uncomfortable and said I had to go to the bathroom, and Bill said he was gonna get me a soda. I went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, and got up the nerves to go tell him I wanted to leave. When I went into the kitchen, I found him crushing pills and adding them to a glass of coke."

Eric sat up and put his hands on her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes. "What were the pills, Sookie?"

She cast her eyes downward, as if she was ashamed of answering him. "It was GHB."

He was on his feet in seconds. "That son of a bitch! That's a date rape drug, Sookie! I'm gonna kill that bastard!"

She jumped to her feet and grabbed his hand. "Eric, no, please. I don't want you to do anything."

He looked her square in the face. "Why not? Don't tell me you're going to defend his actions?"

"No, of course not. But, I'm sure he got rid of the stuff, and if you go over there and do something, his friends will all see, and you'll be arrested for assault. He's not worth it."

"Sookie, we can't just let this slide. What if he tries to do this to someone else?"

"I know. I thought about that. I never want to see him again. But, he **does** work here. I'm gonna have to talk to Daddy and Jesse. Between the two of them, I'm sure they'll figure something out."

He saw her eyes fill with tears, and he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. She wrapped hers around his waist, and they stood, just holding each other, for quite some time.

He finally pulled away from her, held her face in his hands, and looked into her eyes. "I swear to God, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." He lightly stroked her cheek with his thumb, and watched as she bit her lower lip. Before he could stop himself, he placed his lips on hers and kissed her. She made a sound of disappointment when he started to pull away, so he kissed her again, running his tongue along her lower lips, silently asking for entry. She parted her lips and allowed his tongue to slip inside her mouth. He growled softly when he felt her tongue push against his. She moved her hands up and wrapped them around his neck, and he pulled her even tighter against him. He could feel her nipples in the soft cotton of her camisole pushing against his bare chest.

Sookie had wanted to kiss and touch him for so long, she felt like she was in sensory overload when it finally happened. She only pulled her mouth from his when she felt her lungs would burst from lack of oxygen. Eric slowly moved his mouth along her jaw line to her neck, nipping and sucking various spots along the way. She pushed against his chest just hard enough for him to take a couple of steps backward, and when he came in contact with the bed, he sat. She pushed him a little more, and he took the hint, and scooted back further. She crawled into his lap, placing her knees on either side of his muscular thighs, and ground her pelvis against his. The feel of her warm center against his large erection finally made him snap back to reality.

"Sookie, wait," he said, panting. "Are you sure? You and Bill…"

"Eric, I **never** wanted Bill. I only went out with him after I found out that you had a girlfriend. Ever since I found out that you and Pam broke up, I've been trying to figure out how to end things with Bill without hurting him. Obviously, he took care of that for me tonight. I've always been yours."

Upon hearing her confession, he allowed his overwhelming desire for her to take over. He hooked his fingers underneath her camisole, and she raised her arms as he pulled it off of her body, seeing her bare breasts for the first time. "Beautiful," he whispered as he cupped one breast with his hand, and fastened his mouth on the other. She gasped at the pleasure, and tangled her fingers in his hair. He ran one hand down her back, over her ass, and down her thighs, and then lifted slightly, rolling them so her head was on his pillow, and he was lying on top of her, bracing his weight on his elbows at her sides. She lifted her leg until her knee was hitched over his hip, and he reached down and stroked her leg, as he moved his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply.

When he broke their kiss in order to gasp for breath, she moaned and said, "Eric, oh God, more." He smiled down at her as he moved to his knees between her legs, and slowly removed her shorts. He sat back for a moment, taking in the full effect of Sookie, lying naked on his bed, her lips swollen from his kisses, moaning with desire for him. He leaned forward again and trailed kisses over her breasts, down her stomach, and to her hips. He moved his hand to her center and groaned.

He parted her folds, and rubbed his finger gently over her clit. She moaned and her hips bucked off the bed. He placed his hand on her stomach as he lowered his mouth to her. At the same time his tongue touched her clit, he slipped a finger inside of her. He closed his eyes in ecstasy as he felt how tight she was. He massaged her with his tongue, as he began to slowly thrust his finger in and out of her, before adding another, stretching her to prepare for what was to come. She was writhing underneath him, and her moans got louder as her breathing picked up speed. He knew she was getting close, and he lifted his mouth from her and said, "That's it, Sookie. Just let go and cum for me." A moment later, she cried out his name as she reached her climax.

He moved back over the length of her body and kissed her gently. She put her hands under the waistband of his lounge pants, so he stood to remove them. He couldn't help but smirk when her eyes widened when she saw how large he was. He reached down and took her hand in his, and put it on his cock, stroking himself with her hand. "Sookie, don't be afraid."

She looked into his eyes, smiled softly and whispered, "I trust you."

He reached into his nightstand, unwrapped a condom and rolled it on. He lay back down on top of her again, and positioned himself at her entrance. He placed his hands on her cheeks, and looked deeply into her eyes and he pushed slowly inside of her. He heard her breath catch, and saw her close her eyes at the pain. Once he was fully embedded inside of her, he went completely still. He saw a tear run down her cheek, and kissed it away. She opened her eyes to look at him again, and he slowly began moving inside of her. She was so wet and tight that he wanted to pound into her, but knew she deserved better than that. She deserved to be worshipped like the goddess she was.

He felt her wrap her legs around his waist, and she began moaning at the intense pleasure she felt. He kissed her deeply as he increased his speed. "Eric, oh God, yes" she said over and over. He put his hands underneath her hips and adjusted the angle slightly so he was able to go even deeper inside of her. She was meeting him thrust for thrust, and her fingers were digging into his biceps. He leaned down and took her nipple into his mouth, and it sent her over the edge. He heard her cry out his name, and he reached his own peak

After he was able to catch his breath, he excused himself to the bathroom to discard the condom, and went back to join her in bed. He lay down on his back, and pulled her to him, and she rested her head on his chest. He wasn't surprised when her breathing evened out shortly afterwards, knowing how exhausted she must have been. And, it was then that he finally understood. He'd wanted Sookie before he even knew what it truly meant to want someone. Tomorrow, they would need to deal with Bill. But in that moment, all that mattered was sleeping in his arms.

**A/N Okay, so I've fallen completely in love with these characters, so after the contest is over, I DO plan to expand and continue this!! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've posted the first chapter of my expansion/continuation of Colorado Summers. It's under the title Colorado Summers – Redux. The first few chapters will follow along with the original story, but go a little more indepth. Hope you all enjoy it.


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